The state of the art describes laundry-detergent and fabric-softener drawers that cooperate especially with so-called mechanisms that assist the opening and closing movement of the drawer. Thus, for example, German patent DE 39 24 586 C2 discloses a washing machine having a movable laundry-detergent tray that has an electromagnetically actuatable drive means. Here, the drawer cooperates with a toothed rack which, in turn, engages with a toothed wheel that is driven by an electric motor. In this manner, the drawer is opened and closed by means of a control button in the front of the machine housing. A device of this kind is also known from German patent application DE 103 55 671 A1 as well as from European patent application EP 1 403 415 A2.
A drawback of these embodiments known from the state of the art is considered to be the fact that the production of the drawer is cost-intensive since it involves the additional motor with gears, which also calls for additional wiring, especially since more assembly work is required, whereby the laundry-detergent and fabric-softener drawer can only be operated when the washing machine is electrically connected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,344 describes a furniture drawer that cooperates with assisting means for the opening and closing movement. A gear is used as the assisting means, comprising a toothed wheel that is mounted in the shaft and that cooperates with a toothed rack on the drawer. The toothed rack is made to rotate by means of a spiral spring, the teeth of the toothed wheel engaging in the teeth of the toothed rack on the drawer, thereby converting the rotation of the toothed wheel into a linear sliding movement. The spiral spring is completely wound up and secured when the drawer is pushed into the accommodation shaft. The spring is released by pushing on the drawer. When the spring is unwound, the toothed wheel is made to rotate, as a result of which the drawer is moved out of the shaft. However, the proper functioning of the gear requires that, if at all possible, no dirt should get into the teeth, since this could hamper or prevent the movement.